As a young opera star, Shimozumi encountered frequent incredulity at her unaccented English from those who assumed she a Japanese national. Vogelsong says he learned the importance of having good control and a lot of patience – two virtues he says helped extend his career and bring him success in the majors.Born in Hawai‘i and raised in San Francisco by Anglo-American guardians, Hana Shimozumi still had to prove her “Americanness” throughout her life due to her Japanese ethnicity. He spent a lot of time talking and working out with veteran Tigers pitcher Tsuyoshi Shimoyanagi, and says he will always remember that Shimo-san told him to trust his catchers more. Vogelsong says he learned a lot of things while playing in Japan. Though a free agent, the San Francisco Giants announced on September 11 that they would use Vogelsong as a starter on the 17th, after which point they would honor his decision to retire. He tried out for the Minnesota Twins in the spring of 2017, but was unable to secure a spot on their roster. He spent some time coming out of the bullpen but was also used as a starter. After one more season with the Giants in 2015, Vogelsong became a free agent and signed back with another team he had previously played in the National League – the Pittsburgh Pirates. He would go on to play an important role on the 2014 championship squad as well, though he did not earn any wins in the postseason. Vogelsong’s biggest contributions to the Giants’ success came in the 2012 playoffs, when he pitched 24 ⅔ innings and allowed just 3 runs, winning 3 games (two of which came with the team facing elimination) and helping the team win its second World Series in three seasons. Vogelsong would finish the season tied for the club lead with 13 wins. This made him just the third foreign player in history to play in NPB and later make it to an MLB all-star game – joining Cecil Fielder (Hanshin) and Alfonso Soriano (Hiroshima). In fact, his 6-1 record and 2.07 ERA at the All-Star break earned him a spot on the NL roster. When Barry Zito went down with an injury in early 2011, the club called on Vogelsong to patch the leak, and he did more than that. Two stints with different teams’ minor league clubs proved fruitless, but his old club, the San Francisco Giants, re-acquired him in the 2010 offseason. Though he desired to play on in Japan, no other team offered him a contract, and he made his way back to America to resume his career. At long last he made his return in late August and recorded a victory in September against the Nippon Ham Fighters, and despite solid numbers the rest of the season, Vogelsong struggled with control and was not offered another contract with the team. His April was strong, but he struggled mightily through May and June, eventually being sent down to the minors. He was, however, picked up by the Orix Buffaloes, for whom he pitched mostly in long relief. As the Tigers were seeking to acquire big-name free agent Daisuke Miura that offseason, they did not extend another contract extension to Vogelsong. By August he was in the bullpen and eventually was sent to the minors. However, this was not before he was able to hit another home run off another team’s ace pitcher – this one coming on Joff Masanori Ishikawa of the Swallows. He only recorded three wins all year, and pitched his way out of the starting rotation by mid-season. His second year with the team was not any better than the first. Despite ending the year on a low note, he was offered a year extension contract worth ¥90 million. He only made 4 starts in September but was unable to complete 5 innings in any of them. Despite pitching quite well against the Dragons and Yakult Swallows, Vogelsong struggled against the Yomiuri Giants and Hiroshima Carp, failing to earn a win against either team. His impact was immediate, as he not only won the game (6 IP 1 ER) but also hit a 2-run home run in the bottom of the second inning (off future MLB pitcher Kenshin Kawakami). He would make his debut on Apat Koshien Stadium against the Chunichi Dragons. That offseason he received a one-year offer to play with the Hanshin Tigers of NPB, and signed for ¥80 million. Years of injuries, minor league stints and struggling to find a spot in the rotation led him to seek other options upon becoming a free agent after the 2006 season, which he spent almost entirely with the Indianapolis Indians of AAA ball. Though he made his debut with the club in late 2000, he was unable to get regular playing time, and was ultimately shipped to the Pittsburgh Pirates. After a university career at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, he was drafted in the fifth round of the 1998 draft by the San Francisco Giants. Ryan Andrew Vogelsong was born in Charlotte, North Carolina. Originally Drafted By: San Francisco Giants (Round 5, 158th overall)
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